Tag Archives: data

Measuring the efficiency and cost of buildings’ energy use is essential in today’s real estate market. Buildings account for 40 percent of all energy used in the U.S., with an energy price tag of $450 billion annually. By measuring a building’s energy use through the EPA’s internationally recognized ENERGY STAR® program, commercial real estate professionals can save money and reduce energy consumption. Best of all, it’s free and easily accessed online.

ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager gives building owners and managers a baseline understanding of their buildings’ energy use and a benchmark against which to measure performance, according to Zachary Hart of the Institute for Market Transformation. Simply benchmarking energy usage led to reduced energy usage and savings: a 2012 EPA study of 35,000 benchmarked buildings found that they saved an annual average of 2.4 percent in energy costs. Buildings that benchmarked for three years straight saved an average of 7 percent.

In a competitive real estate market, this tool creates a baseline against which buildings can measure their energy usage, both for cost-saving and profit. Tenants are more likely to rent and stay in green buildings. A 2008 study by the CoStar Group found that ENERGY STAR®-labeled buildings rented at $2.40 per square foot more than non-labeled buildings, and that the labeled buildings had a 3.6 percent higher occupancy rate. Energy-efficient buildings are a safer investment for lenders and raise a building’s overall market value.… Read More

When it comes to workplace comfort, researchers at Purdue University are proving the theory that one size doesn’t fit all.

An ongoing study at the Purdue University Center for High Performance Buildings (CHPB), in partnership with JLL, is looking at the effect of customizable indoor environment conditions on employee productivity and satisfaction and building energy consumption. The goal of the two-year project, “Development of self-tuned indoor environments,” is to use measures of individual preferences to come up with smart building technology solutions.

“Essentially we are developing algorithms that can learn occupant preferences accurately and efficiently,” said Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Panagiota Karava, one of the researchers on the project.

Founded in 2013, the CHPB has quickly emerged as a leader in the smart building innovation space. Supported by partnerships with industry leaders, the CHPB takes a multi-disciplinary approach to its research projects, by bringing in experts in mechanical, civil and electrical engineering, as well as specialists in psychology and human behavior.

JLL has partnered with the CHPB on 13 research projects, including this one. The study is collecting data from over 200 participants in private and open-plan offices in an on-campus building that is a living laboratory. Each private office is equipped with dimmable electric lights, motorized shades and a Variable Air Volume system. In one sub-study, sensors measured temperature, light levels and occupant actions as participants were asked to engage in a regular 8-hour workday and interact with the customizable control systems from their desks. … Read More

Interested in learning more about using data and analytics as part of your smart building strategy? Join us for an upcoming webcast on Friday, November 6 at 12:30pm EST. To register for this free webcast, please click here.

Do you know how your buildings are performing right now? Most owners and operators don’t. In fact, most don’t know how they have performed in the past,… Read More